This invention relates to aspiration catheters used for removing fluids from the tracheobronchial passages of patients.
Aspiration, or suction catheters are commonly employed for removing fluids, such as secretions, exudates and blood from the tracheobronchial passages of patients by applying a suction force to the catheter. Suctioning of tracheobronchial passages is performed frequently following a tracheostomy to remove fluids resulting from the surgical procedure. It is essential that the suction catheter be maintained sterile and that effective aseptic technique be used to prevent infection of the patient due to transmission of foreign bacteria into the patient during the suctioning procedure. Effective aseptic procedure includes avoiding contact of the catheter with any foreign object, including the hands of the person inserting the catheter.
In the past, attempts at preventing contamination of the sterile catheter prior to and during use of the catheter included requiring the person performing the suction procedure to wear sterile gloves. However, it is very difficult and time consuming for a person to put these gloves on and use them without their exterior surface touching a foreign object or even the user's hands while the hands are being inserted in the gloves. Any contact of the catheter with a contaminated object will cause the catheter to become contaminated. Therefore, extreme care must be taken to avoid contact of the catheter with any foreign object.
Another problem is cross contamination after the catheter is used as a result of the used catheter carrying infectious secretions. Presently, after a suction catheter is used, it may be rinsed and discarded into a waste receptacle. If the catheter is touched, that person may become infected or become a carrier of the infectious organisms. Consequently, very careful aseptic disposal procedures must be carried out.
Accordingly, it is one objective of this invention to provide an improved suction catheter which avoids contamination prior to and during usage and which minimizes the possibility of cross contamination during disposal of the used catheter.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved sterile catheter which simplyfies aseptic insertion of the catheter and a method for inserting the catheter into a patient.
Additional objectives and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.